Apparatus for indicating the depth of liquid in a vessel.



PATENTED OCT. 15, 1907.

- L. MURPHY. I APPARATUS FOR INDIGATING THE DEPTH OF LIQUID IN A VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. 1907.

' indicating liquid contained in a suitable gage. reser- -voir, the excess air or gas being led by a pipe from UnirsD STATES PATENT OFFICE;

LEONARD MURPHY, or DUBLIN, IRELAND.

' APPARATUS non mmeArme TEE DEPTH on mourn m A VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed January so, 1907. Serial in. 354,791.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD MURPHY, a-subject' of Indicating the Depth of Liquid in a Vessel, of which the following isa specification.

It has been proposed to indicate the depth of liquid in a vessel at a distance from such vessel by the pressure ofairor gas introduced above'the surface of an the top of" the gage reservoir to a point within and near the bottom of the liquid containing vessel, so that the pressure exerted on the indicating liquid surface is proportional to the depth of liquid in the distant vessel. In some cases the air has been introduced by means of a separate compressor and passed through a valve I into'the indicating apparatus, while in other cases no valvewas used, the compressor forming part of the indicating instrument and being always in direct communication with the air or gassu'pporting the column of indicating liquid.

In either case a leakage of air from the valve or compressor would vitiatethe indications of the gage. This source of error is eliminated in the improved apparatus of'the present invention by interposing a liquid seal between the compressor or valve and the gaseous pressure fluid within the gage reservoir. This is effected by connecting the compressor to the indicating apparatus through a tube of suitable diameter and length,

the lower. end of which is immersed in the indicating fluid of the gage reservoir. If air is blown or pumped down this tube, it will escape through the open submerged end into the liquid freespace of the closedgage or gage reservoir, and thence by the line pipe to the distant tank or vessel, the introduction of the air or gas being continued until the indicating column ceases to rise any higher in the gage glass, that is say until the surplus air or gas escapes from the submerged end of the pipe in the vessel to be gaged,

'It will be obvious that on removingthe pressure from the tube through which air is introduced, this tube will. be sealed by the column of liquid forced into it by the pressure on the surface of the indicating liquid, and the liquidin the gage glass will remain the modifications necessary for applying the apparatus to liquid containing vessels which may be subject to pressure either greater or less than atmospheric; Figs. 6 and 7 show modified constructions of the indicator part of the apparatus for effecting a reduction in the length of the scale; and Fig. 8 shows a furthermodification in which different liquids are used in the indicating andsealing columns.

In these figures A is the vessel the liquid contents of which have to be gaged, B is the line pipe which extends downwards nearly to the bottom of the vessel A and is connected at its otherend with a pipe G which opens into the closed air space of the indicating liquid reservoir D or gage glass E, the reservoir being closed at the top and the gage glass open in the .former case, and conversely in the latter case, when the apparatus is applied to gage ,open tanks.

When adapted for tanks subject to any pressure, both i the reservoir D and'the gage glass E are closed at'the top, one being connected by air pipe 0 with the line pipe B, while the other .is connected with the liquidfree space in the vessel A by a return pipe B.

F is the air inlet pipe dipping into the indicating liquid through which air. is introduced by any suitable means as by a-compressor which may be detachable from the pipe as indicated at G (Figs. land 5). In

this case any branch pipe connected with the compressor must be suitably closed before removal of the latter.

Fig. 4 the compressor draws its air or gas from the return pipe B, while in Figj 5 the compressor may also be arranged to introduce outside air or gas as required.

The apparatus of Figs. 1 and 4 are more conveniently used with an opaque indicating liquid, while those of Figs. 2, 3 and 5, areintended for a transparent indicating liquid, which is in this case contained within two concentric cylinders.

It will be obvious that on pumping ai'r or'gas through the pipe F the level of the indicating liquid will be depressed in one of the vessels D, E, and raised in the other team extent depending on the pressure and the areas of the liquid surfaces in the two vessels. Instead of using the difference of level betweenthe two surfaces to gage the depth of liquid in the containing tank, the depth may be gaged by the actual displacement of one or other of the indicating liquid surfaces, thereby reducing the length of the scale, which would of course in this case be an empirical one and not an absolute measure of the depth of liquid. By suitably proportioning the vessels D, E, and using, for example, the liquid surface in the transparent outer vessel or tube D (Fig. 6) or in the separate gage glass E connected with the opaque outer tube D (Fig. 7), the proportionality of the scale to the actual depth of the liquid may be given any desired value and further an opaque liquid such as mercury maybe used as the indicating liquid.

Although the instrument shown in Figs. 6 and 7 remains of the same over-all length as before,-the lower part of the outer vessel D can be of reduced transverse dimensions, and can be made of metal or other suitable material, and if desired disposed out oi sight, or the whole of the tube D may be of metal as in Fig. 7.

It may be an advantage in some cases to separate the indicating portion of the instrument from the sealing portion, as for example, when the indicating liquid ..Would be rapidly evaporated by blowing air or gas through it. Fig. 8 shows how the apparatus of Figs. 2 and 3 for example may be modified for this purpose.

In this case the pipe F'dips into a separate closed vessel K which is partially filled with a suitable non-volatile liquid, such as mercury, and has its air space connectedsenses Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim:-

1. An apparatus for indicating the depth of liquid in a vessel comprising a reservoir partially filled with indicating liquid, a pipe dipping into the vessel to be gugcd and connected with the non-liquid space of the said reservoir, a second pipe dipping into a sealing fluid at the same pressure as the reservoir, and means for forcing gaseous fluid through the second pipe into the non-liquid space of the indicating apparatus, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for indicating the depth of liquid in a tank or the like comprisingiwo vessels communicating at their lower ends and containing indicating liquid, one of the said vessels being; closed, a pipe leading from the nonliquid space of the closed vessel to thetank to be gaged and extending downwardly to the bottom thereof, a second pipe opening into the liquid space of the same closed vessel, and means for forcing gaseous fluid through the second pipe, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for indicating the depth of liquid in a closed tank or the like, comprising two closed vessels communicating at their lower ends and containing indicating fluid, a line pipe'leading from the non-liquid space of one of the closed vessels and opening into the tank to he gnged neauthe bottom thereof, a return pipe leading from the top of.the said closed tank to the non-liquid space of the second closed vessel, 21 third pipe opening into the liquid space of the first closed vessel and connected with the return pipe from the tank, a non-return valve interposed in said connection, and means for forcing gaseous Iiuid through the third pipe into the first mentioned closed vessel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD MURPHY.

Witnesses JAMES MURPHY, DAVID F. CnoNiN. 

